“The Next Unicorn,” a comedy about a fashion company in Calabasas, debuted in April on Amazon Prime.
The three mini-episode series is co-directed by actress, director and producer Elizabeth Chang, who together with her husband Richard Chang runs the production company Georgian Pine Entertainment in Calabasas.The series follows the ebb and flow of employees at Le Satchel, a fictional subscription-based startup clothing company. An impending merger with Thread and Needle, a larger competitor, and an inevitable reduction in the workforce, ignites tensions within the two companies. Elizabeth Chang stars in the series as Olivia, who must navigate the new changes.
Chang called the show a mix of “The Office” and “Silicon Valley” with a dash of “Sex and the City” to boot.
“It’s written with the structure of a drama, and with the pacing and tone of a comedy,” Chang said in a statement. “At heart, it is about love, loyalty and celebrating and embracing what makes each of us unique.” Authentic diversity was an important aspect for the creation of the series, according to Elizabeth Chang, who is Chinese American and Jewish. The majority of characters and cast are ethnic minorities and/or female identifying. “I wanted to give (the characters) voices that were more reflective of what I’ve seen, rather than the stereotypical things that frustrated me watching media from time to time,” she said. “So, I tried to write the characters with as authentic a voice as possible and create characters that counter stereotypes.” The project took about two years from concept to finished product. The initial plan was for a low-budget work that her and Elizabeth Chang’s friends, who are also actors, could pull off themselves. The show’s trajectory changed when she shared the concept with more friends that thought the show should be made with a larger budget. Eventually, people jumped in with offers to help increase the budget.
“This was the first time from start to finish. I’d written something, produced it, directed it and acted in that altogether,” she told the Business Journal. Chang’s idea for a story revolving around a startup clothing company was influenced by an interview she had with Stitch Fix, a San Francisco online personal styling service, before she returned to acting in 2016. Peering into Stitch Fix’s world of fashion-tech and previously working for a social e-commerce company influenced Chang when she started writing the script.
Richard Chang is an executive producer for the series. The Changs are looking for a studio interested in producing a full first season of the show.
TV Series Tells of Valley ‘Unicorn’
